The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-05-20
THE FERRY LANDING.
County Commissioners hearing on
Damages to Portland Pier Property
Resulting from the Proposed Loca-
ton of Highway and Ferry
Landing.

A hearing was had before the County
Commissioners yesterday on the damages
resulting to the property of Portland Pier
by the proposed location Of ferry slip and
drop and highway over the length of the
wharf leading thereto. Hon. William W.
Thomas, Jr., and District Attorney George
Z. Bird represented the proprietors of the
pier.
In opening the case Mr.. Bird claimed that
they should be allowed the cost of construc-
ton for the solid fill taken and the piling,
fair value for the balance taking into con-
sideration the injury it does to the remaining
portion of the wharf by curtailing the uses
to which it can be put; and also fair value
for the flats covered by the erections that are
taken. In 1907 the owners of the land now
covered by the pier put their land together
and held it as proprietary under the laws
of Massachusetts, and Maine until 1852, when
an act of incorporation was procured from
the Legislature. City Engineer Goodwin,
the first witness called. said that at the
former hearing before the Commissioners he
had made an estimate of the damages which
would result from the location of this way,
and he had seen no reason for changing that
ColluidbCs VIZ. TUT Tile pie W1ldTl, OU6 uOlldI
per square foot for the part taken, and the
part not taken a depreciation of one-half
From Commercial street down to the end of
the solid fill $1,000 Carpenters estimate of
cost of cutting off the buildings at lower end
of the wharf, $500. Loss of rent, $3.50
which capitalized at five per cent would
represent about $14,166. The estimate of
| $4,000 for the roadway on the solid fill does
| not include the value of the flats, which he
did not attempt to estimate.
L IhnmaC If pnrfland tnr
| said the average yearly net income of the
| property had been about So, 700.
| Leander Fobes, treasurer of Franklin
| wharf, agree substantially with Mr.. Good
| win in placing the damage at one dollar a
foot. Didn't think what was left on the
| westerly side of the wharf was of any value
and the eastern side not worth more than
half as mach as now. He thought the flats
were not worth 40 cents foot.
| John w. Lane placed the damage at one
dollar per square fot and the balance dam
| aged 80 to 40 per foot.
Capt. James Balm and William Curtis
| placed it at one dollar and half per square
foot for the part taken. The other witnesses
called were Abial NJ. Smith, o. b. Written,
Thaddeus G. Lewis, Stephen X. Dyer, John
| Y. IewkeSbury, George 5. Hunt, William r.
Wood and e. G. Willard. They placed the
damages at from one dollar to one dollar and
a half for the portion taken and from 40 to
70 cents per foot for the lower part of the
| wharf left.
In summing up Mr.. w. w. Thomas said II
the commissioners woul allow them one dol
lar per foot for the whole part taken from
the line of Commercial street to the end OF
the wharf and so cents per foot for the dam
age tn what is left ON the outside of the sir
and drop the proprietors would make no 9th,
er claim for loss of rent or fo- damages tc
what IS left further up the wharf.
Aside from this claim by Portland Pier
Elias Thomas individually and as trustee
claims $500 damages to each of the foul
stores owned by him and the estate he rep
resents, making $1,000.
Lewis, Chase q Written claim $4,000 as
damages to their business and the building
they own on the lower end of the wharf.
The commissioners will render a decision
the first of next month.